The Tokyo Girls Collection is a twice-yearly fashion festival of unparalleled scale. Unlike typical collections, in which designers present their latest works to buyers and journalists, TGC directly targets women in their late teens and twenties, with popular fashion models walking the runway in "real clothes" (fashionable streetwear) that young women can actually add to their wardrobes.

Of the many women's fashion magazines in Japan, Koakuma Ageha has been making waves for its especially daring fashion suggestions. Launched in October 2006, it covers hairstyle, makeup, and fashion and targets young women who love designer-brand goods and seek fashions that attract men.

Shirt dresses have become a hit this spring and summer, adding momentum to the trend in one-piece dresses that began a few seasons ago. Women like these garments because they are easy to wear, more versatile, and less expensive than dresses, though they cost slightly more than shirts.

Dresses have appeared on the scene this spring with a new burst of energy after a year of continued popularity. Dresses have become a hot item among women from all walks of life, and the range of occasions on which they are worn is growing.

Gold is this year's trendy color. Gold buttons are being used on pea jackets and trench coats, gold chain bags and belt buckles are all the rage, and gold-toned clothes and other small items with a touch of gold are now prominent.

Hidden underneath long boots until recently, tights and stockings are regaining popularity as fashion items. The favorites among young fashion aficionados are delicate lace tights in black and gray, which they often wear with tight or tiered miniskirts for a feminine finish.

Until recently, black and white have reigned supreme as the base fashion colors. But now the popularity of gray is on the rise, and the list of fashion essentials is topped by feminine items, such as long knit cardigans and traditional pleated skirts.

Winter, the season when no one leaves home without a coat, will soon be in full swing. In keeping with the current trend for traditional, conservative fashion, coats such as the windbreaker and the down jacket are giving way to more sophisticated styles of outerwear.

The layered look has been experiencing a revival this year. This past spring and summer, the focal point of this trend was the upper body. Now the focus has shifted to the legs. Particularly notable is a craze for leggings.

Balloon skirts that circle back to a gathered hemline, blouses with puffy leg-of-mutton sleeves, and draping bolero jackets with three-quarter-length sleeves cut and sewn with copious frills are among the items now in favor as big-looking clothes take the spotlight.

Curly hair is back in style. Women from their teens through thirties are styling their tresses in big, soft waves an effort to duplicate the cute, feminine hairdos currently featured in the fashion magazines, including on popular model Ebihara Yuri.

As fall deepens, young women's fashions are turning black and white. The key is a touch of chic: for instance, a white shirt coordinated with a black vest, a black pleated skirt, and black and white half boots.

Women all around town can be seen carrying straw bags, whose cool, light appearance is perfect for the summer. Though the bags have been in fashion for a number of years, their popularity this year is unprecedented.

Polo shirts are a longstanding staple of sporty-casual and everyday wear. But recently this basic style, worn mostly by men, has been given an elegant new twist that has garnered popularity among female office workers and other trend-conscious young women.

With beach season approaching, summer clothing has taken over the store shelves. The predominant theme of this year's swimwear is bikini separates embellished with touches that reflect current fashion trends.

Young women in their early twenties are going ga-ga over pink babydoll dresses, white lace dresses, and other cute, feminine clothes. This cutesy style has become a favorite look for dates and parties alike.

Unlined cotton kimono called yukata have long been worn by people attending traditional summer events held around Japan. But men and women have also begun dressing up in yukata to attend soccer and baseball matches, club events, and outdoor parties.

Until recently, trendy young men with brown dyed hair and tanned skin were a prominent fixture on the streets of Shibuya. But now many of these men have graduated to a new style that has been dubbed onii-kei (literally "elder brother style").

This spring, cute, romantic dresses are the favored fashion items among the young women in their teens and twenties who populate the boutique-lined streets of Tokyo's Harajuku and Daikanyama neighborhoods.

White garments currently abound at boutiques and women's apparel departments. White blouses and dresses with frills and lace, full skirts, and other clothes with a feminine touch are particularly popular.

More and more Japanese women are sporting a makeup look popularly known as nekome (cat's eyes). Sultry, feline-looking eyes complement the Victorian fashions and the fur and other luxurious materials that define this winter's fashion.

Until last year, long boots with simple designs that gave the legs a sleek silhouette were all the rage, but this year lavishly ornamented or Wild West-inspired boots are flying off the shelves. The new must-have footwear is being adopted in different ways by women in different age groups.

Fur vests are an ideal way to complete the layered look that is currently in vogue. The vests can complement a range of styles from dressy to casual, and this versatility has made them so popular that stores are having trouble keeping them in stock.

A Bathing Ape in Lukewater must be one of the world's most unusual brand names. The street-fashion label created by Japanese designer Nigo has earned a fanatical following among celebrities and young people both inside and outside Japan.

Victorian-inspired fashions trimmed with lace and frills are all the rage this fall and winter as Japanese women look to achieve a classic, feminine look.eted, and women are showing them off as fashion items in their own right.

Foot covers and half socks made their debut as accessories designed to alleviate such problems, and they were an immediate hit because they were so effective. This year an assortment of covers in different colors and patterns have been marketed, and women are showing them off as fashion items in their own right.

A high-end Japanese jeans brand with a vintage sensibility is building a fan base among discriminating denim wearers all over the world. Evisu Jeans are readily identified by the stylized seagull logo painted on the back pocket.

For Japanese women, this is the season of worrying about ultraviolet rays. This year the standard arsenal of protective gear that includes parasols, hats, and gloves has been joined by an array of new accessories like "ray sleeves" and arm stoles.

The colorful rain boots and uniquely shaped umbrellas that have hit the stores recently are enough to make a person look forward to rainy days. Now fashion-conscious Japanese are finding that they can actually enjoy the rainy season.

They're cute, they're sexy, and they toy with men's hearts. They're koakuma ("little devils") and they represent a female archetype that has been around for as long as there have been men's hearts to toy with.

People interested in traditional Japanese dress might be familiar with tabi, the split-toe socks that are worn with kimono. Now these uniquely shaped socks are capturing the attention of young Japanese designers and even the fashion world outside of Japan.

Over the past few years, a growing number of European and American cosmetics manufacturers have
been introducing lipstick, eye shadow, nail polish, and other beauty-enhancing
products in colors exclusively for the Japanese or Asian markets.

As spring has finally arrived in Tokyo, people are putting
away their winter coats and showing off the new spring styles. In such trendy
areas as Harajuku and Daikanyama, women are sporting colorful street fashion.
Well-worn, loose-fitting clothes worn in layers appear set to become popular this
year.

There is no better illustration of the cyclical nature of fashion
trends than the 1960s revival that started last fall in Japan. The most conspicuous trend associated with this revival is the return of houndstooth checks.

The city is full of young women walking the streets in miniskirts,
despite the cold. Tweeds and checks are the top choices in fabric, and the
skirt length averages about 40 centimeters. The favorite footwear to go with
these skirts is over-knee boots.

More and more people are wearing hats of distinctive designs that,
unlike in past hat booms, are not constrained by fashion trends. Rather than famous
brand boutiques, it is specialty shops stocking hats created by daring young designers
that are at the forefront of the current craze.